Two days after storm, Queens County roads still too bad for buses

The roads are clear in Liverpool, but that is definitely not the case in Queens County’s hundreds of kilometers of gravel and dirt roads. Two days after a snowstorm, school buses will not attempt them.

LIVERPOOL, N.S. - Many parents in Queens County woke up Wednesday – two days after a snowstorm - to learn that school buses would not be travelling on the hundreds of kilometers of gravel and dirt roads in the region.

The reason, according to Scott Milner, superintendent of the South Shore Regional School Board – the roads were still too bad after Monday’s storm.

“The majority haven’t received any application of sand on top of the snow,” he says.

He says the majority of the roads have not been sanded after the storm.

“One of the reasons with the bus is they have to stop and start all the time, it’s not like you’re just cruising down the road, so when the roads are slick, it’s extremely difficult to stop and start in a safe manner.”

Milner says roads in the Caledonia area are still in bad shape.

But why haven’t they been sanded yet?

Glen Strang is superintendent for Queens for the Department of Transportation.

He says staff are still working on the back roads, and the work probably won’t be done until tomorrow.

That’s because the same vehicles do salting and sanding, and pavement takes priority over gravel and unpaved roads.

“The salt trucks had to go out on the paved roads again this morning because it started raining and it was freezing on contact.”

Main roads take priority, he says.

“Normally, when we plow gravel roads for instance and its snowing we don’t sand them unless its required because its just a good snow road. But the way the weather was with the snow changing to rain we started an operation on the back roads, but this morning we had to send the trucks back to the paved roads salting.”

He says salting and plowing on the paved roads delays getting sand on the gravel and back roads.

He says the graders are out now, but the situation may not be cleared up right away.

“Tomorrow morning? I would say we’re going to be working through the night.”

He says if it turns cold tonight, they’ll have to divert from the back roads to the paved roads again.

When asked if there might be a better way to maintain the roads he replied: “twice as much equipment?”

Strang says when all roads are slippery they are dealt with on a priority basis - paved first.

The reason, according to Scott Milner, superintendent of the South Shore Regional School Board – the roads were still too bad after Monday’s storm.

“The majority haven’t received any application of sand on top of the snow,” he says.

He says the majority of the roads have not been sanded after the storm.

“One of the reasons with the bus is they have to stop and start all the time, it’s not like you’re just cruising down the road, so when the roads are slick, it’s extremely difficult to stop and start in a safe manner.”

Milner says roads in the Caledonia area are still in bad shape.

But why haven’t they been sanded yet?

Glen Strang is superintendent for Queens for the Department of Transportation.

He says staff are still working on the back roads, and the work probably won’t be done until tomorrow.

That’s because the same vehicles do salting and sanding, and pavement takes priority over gravel and unpaved roads.

“The salt trucks had to go out on the paved roads again this morning because it started raining and it was freezing on contact.”

Main roads take priority, he says.

“Normally, when we plow gravel roads for instance and its snowing we don’t sand them unless its required because its just a good snow road. But the way the weather was with the snow changing to rain we started an operation on the back roads, but this morning we had to send the trucks back to the paved roads salting.”

He says salting and plowing on the paved roads delays getting sand on the gravel and back roads.

He says the graders are out now, but the situation may not be cleared up right away.

“Tomorrow morning? I would say we’re going to be working through the night.”

He says if it turns cold tonight, they’ll have to divert from the back roads to the paved roads again.

When asked if there might be a better way to maintain the roads he replied: “twice as much equipment?”

Strang says when all roads are slippery they are dealt with on a priority basis - paved first.